Zen Shiatsu Society

Back from a trip to India including a short visit to the house of Mahatma Gandhi. To walk the same floorboards, to stand on the same balcony, in the footsteps of the Great Soul, was to feel inspiration. Those today fighting for a just cause could learn from a man who used all means except violence to obtain justice. And succeeded.

Many thanks for the wonderful hospitality Marta and I received in India, especially from Gita Pandit who gave us accommodation in Mumbai, tea in Delhi, and a lot of inspiration - including the visit to the Gandhi House. We're looking forward to you resuming your studies at the Zen School!

Apart from all the fun, and the challenges of an Indian train (for those who know my mantra) we had positive results in our search to promote the school to potential shiatsu visa students.
And I should mention it wasn't all work - the Taj Mahal is even more than the hype, even more than the most expected expectation, even in 47 degrees. Make it a thing to do before you die! (early morning best!!!)

Zen School of Shiatsu

Festival of Mind Body Spirit - May 21st through 26th Six Days of Festival, more than 150 stands of everything esoteric from crystals to creation, backrub to books (did you know Tesco owns the NutriCentre?) If you've never been to this event, make the time. Its amazing in some ways, unbelievable in others. And if you have been before, you know what fun it can be (the Hare Krishn's food alone is worth the visit.)
Visit the Zen School's Stand 51, enjoy a wonderful head- neck- and shoulders treatment and a 5% discount on any courses you sign up for. We're there to answer your questions, give out our leaflets and talk about our school. We're also doing a free stage demo at 1.30 pm on Sunday 26th.
As before, we're donating £1 from each treatment to Capital Radio 95.8's charity Help a London Child - this is a great cause - there are so many calls on our generosity from across the world, aren't there, but when I have to make my choice, I believe charity begins at home, for us in London, the city that has nurtured the growth of our school over so many years.

Special Event - Kris's 'Wonderful Backrub' workshop on Sunday 25th May, 3pm to 7pm. In just a few hours, this intensive workshop will show you how to refresh and revitalise stressed friends and partners. Bring a friend or make new ones. New Horticultural Hall Greycoat Street Victoria SW1 Directions & Tickets

Next Shiatsu Intensive Immersion Course runs June 9th to 13th, with an Open Evening Friday June 6th, 6.30 for 7pm. Can't wait? Then arrange your own personal Welcome Visit. I'd be happy to show you around and answer your questions. Call the office 0700 078 1195 Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 12 noon and 3 pm. You can join us on our weekly courses in Zen Shiatsu any Tuesday evening 6.30, Thursday afternoon 2.30: Beginners continuous enrolment. * No need to book – just drop in, tune in and sign up!

Healing NLP

Early Bird discount (before 22nd June) is on offer for the next Society of NLP accredited Practitioner Training August 22nd to 29th. http://www.healingnlp.com Also on the web site, names and contact info for our growing number of Practitioners and Master Practitioners, including other languages spoken. Learn to master mind, starting with your own, and help others be the best they can, finding their full potential, overcoming fears and phobias, learning to understand others. Works well with healing therapies - not surprisingly as NLP began as one itself - and fits nicely with the 5-element model of oriental medicine.
Find out about special discounts for Zen Shiatsu Society members - call 020 7739 9916 between 12 and 3, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Regulation News

Our Society has to make a decision on how we want to be regulated. The first step is to decide whether we want to continue along the path we have been following for several years now, with the Shiatsu Regulatory Group and before that the General Shiatsu Council, under the auspices of the Prince's Federation for Integrated Health. Our recommendation is to continue, as the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. To attain a level of information enabling you to make an informed decision please click to see the SRG web site and let us know at society@learn-shiatsu.co.uk in time for the next meeting on 19th May.

Vitality Show Report
What a great show! Thank you for your support - the numbers tell their own story: 271 treatments over 4 days, raising £320 to Help a London Child, including donations . The Zen Squad's energy and enthusiasm created a fantastic atmosphere that had people lining up for treament! well done, well done, well done. And signing up for courses benefitting from the 5% exhibition discount. Next up, the Festival of Mind Body Spirit, May 21 to 26 - watch this space.

April Open Evening and Intensive Immersion Course

Come to our Open Evening this Friday 4th April and learn more about Zen Shiatsu. Meet the teachers, have your questions answered. Win a 5% discount if you sign up this evening - no pressure, big saving. No need to book - just turn up: 6.30 for 7pm at 1st Floor, 68 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3JT (Old St Tube) Finish by 9 pm and costs just £9.
Find us with a click

Shiatsu Intensive Immersion course. Monday 7th April, thru' Friday 11th April, 10am to 5pm.
Learn the Four Positions: Prone, Supine, Side and Seated, leading to your basic Certificate in Practical Shiatsu (CPS.) If you can't make the Immersion, why not join one of the weekly courses: these start Tuesday evenings 6.30 pm or Thursday afternoons 2.30 pm, or for the monthly cycle enrol Saturday April 19th at 10am or 2pm (3rd Saturday, two sessions, 10 am to 1 pm and/or 2 to 5pm.)


Zen Shiatsu Society
Look out for the catchwords Integrated Medicine - a welcome initiative to integrate complementary and allopathic medicine.
The Integrated Health Trust has approached us for support in their work.

"Integrated Medicine (IM) pioneer Dr Rosy Daniel and a group of eminent trustees, supporters and advisors have formed the Integrated Health Trust to create a visionary integrated health resource for the people of Britain. This will be a world-class facility offering a multiplicity of life enhancing experiences to improve health and well-being. We will create an uplifting 'sacred space' through the synergy of beauty, nature, creativity, ecology, spirituality and holistic healing. It will be set in the heart of the English countryside and will become a beacon of hope and a source of spiritual uplift for the thousands of people whose lives it touches.
"It will be home to:
A Residential Clinic of Integrated Medicine
A School of Integrated Medicine and IM Research
Assisted Living Accommodation for gentle, holistic care of the elderly, with 'Spiritual Midwifery' for end of life transitional care
Proactive Health Education for prevention of illness and generation of positive health
"Healthy Creation for the wider community's preventive healthcare, where young people of all ages can enjoy the creative arts, inspirational performances, ecological and self-development courses, exhibitions of art and exemplary environmental practice and the opportunity to explore and work with the natural world.
"Over time we plan to make a major contribution to the improvement of health in our country and to demonstrate effective models for halting the epidemic of Western lifestyle related diseases and the massive healthcare costs these incur..."
Learn more

The Zen Shiatsu Society offers umbrella coverage to other forms of massage and disciplines such as acupuncture, NLP, hypnotherapy, tai chi and chi king (qigong) teachers, etc etc. as well as supporting students, practitioners, teachers and schools of Zen Shiatsu.


Healing NLP

Early Bird discount now on offer for the next Society of NLP accredited Practitioner Training August 22nd to 29th. Also on the web site, names and contact info for our growing number of Practitioners and Master Practitioners, including other languages spoken. http://www.healingnlp.com
Ask about special discounts for Zen Shiatsu Society members

With the current trend towards regulation we have made our procedures more specific. Although Aristotle said "What is the world coming to when they have to teach ethics?" the truth is that in our litigious world, people, that is both practitioners and clients/public, do need to know what needs to be done if things go wrong, from a simple breakdown of communication to a genuine grievance.

Whereas most practitioners, teachers and students go through their whole career without anyone complaining about them, and without themselves complaining about anyone or anything (not officially anyway), on the rare occasion a complaint is made it does need proper investigation. Whether a complaint is made against you or by you, the most important thing to do is to make a written record of everything you remember: dates, times, places, circumstances, what was said, not said, done or not done.

Our Charter is to support our Members. If a complaint is made against you or you want to make one - TELL US. We can help you with advice and support and will try to facilitate agreement on an outcome acceptable to both complainer and complainee.

It makes sense to activate your Zen Shiatsu Society Membership and to keep your Professional Indemnity Insurance up-to-date for one very good reason: you may be completely innocent, whatever it was may not have been your fault, and the error exist only in the eye of the beholder BUT if complainer and complainee cannot agree an outcome, and either decides to take it further, you may find yourself with legal costs, whatever the final outcome.

The procedures below are to help both sides agree an outcome and what to do if they can't.

ZEN SHIATSU SOCIETY ETHICAL GUIDELINES & COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

Members of the Zen Shiatsu Society should act in an ethical way towards each other and those they come in contact with through shiatsu. Anyone who feels they have been treated in an unethical way may have recourse to the following Complaints Procedure. The Zen Shiatsu Society accepts the Rules of Ethics of the Shiatsu Regulatory Group.

ZEN SHIATSU SOCIETY CODES OF ETHICS AND PRACTICE

Any application for membership of the Zen Shiatsu Society signifies that the Applicant has read, understood and agrees to adhere to this Code of Ethics and Practice and to conduct themselves in such a manner as to uphold and maintain the high standards of the profession of Shiatsu. Any breach of this Code may render the Member liable to Disciplinary Procedures. All Members are required to maintain Professional Indemnity and Liability insurance.

1. Members shall at all times act in an honourable, courteous and considerate manner in their relations with clients, other members, practitioners, students and the public.

2. Members must recognise that their primary obligation is towards their client.

3. Members shall not deliberately mislead for their own gain a client or member of the public who seeks advice or information from them.

4. A Member must not attempt by any devious or coercive means, or by making derogatory statements about another member, or by offering special inducements, to persuade a client to leave their existing therapist.

5. A Member must not indulge in immoral conduct.

6. No member should unwarrantedly offer, explicitly or implicitly, either verbally or in writing, an unfavourable opinion of another therapist or Association, whether or not they are a member of the ZSS. Members are free, however, to take such action as they may deem necessary, to defend their own good name and reputation where this is threatened by the actions of a third party who is not a registered member of the ZSS

7. Members may advertise their services providing this is carried out in such a way as to present and maintain a professional and ethical image and standard.

8. Members shall keep confidential records of their clients which shall include amongst the information held the person's last known address and telephone number.

9. Members shall themselves seek contact with organisations and individuals involved in the practice of different types of holistic health care, and within the Health Service, both in order to be aware of the nature and uses of other health care techniques for the purposes of referral where appropriate and to extend amongst other practitioners an awareness of Shiatsu.

COMPLAINTS & DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

The Charter of the Zen Shiatsu Society is to support students, practitioners and teachers of Zen Shiatsu.

In the event of a complaint the Society will attempt to facilitate a satisfactory outcome.

If the outcome is not agreed the Society will support the member in any further proceedings.

If the complaint is between members and an outcome cannot be agreed the matter will be referred to the Shiatsu Regulator.

PURPOSE

1 The Purpose of the Procedure is to

1.1 satisfy Complainants that their complaint is heard

1.2 protect Complainees from frivolous complaints

1.3 provide guidelines to facilitate the procedure with respect and confidentiality

1.4 enable a satisfactory outcome to be agreed

1.5 indicate courses open to either party in the event no satisfactory outcome is agreed

PROCEDURE

2 The Complainant informs the Zen Shiatsu Society of the Basis of Complaint.

3 The Society nominates a Focaliser to be agreed by Complainant and Complainee.
The Focaliser

3.1 supplies copies of this Procedure to both Complainant and Complainee

3.2 advises the Complainee that a complaint has been made and of the Basis of Complaint

3.3 asks the Complainee for their response to the Basis of Complaint

3.4 informs the the Complainant of the Response

4 If the Complainant is satisfied with the Response the matter is closed.

5 If the Complainant is not satisfied with that response and agrees that the Society should continue to attempt facilitating agreement the Focaliser asks

5.1 the Complainant to provide within 14 days a full Written Complaint which is then copied to the Complainee

5.2 the Complainee is asked to respond in writing within 14 days

5.3 the Focaliser considers the Written Complaint and the Written Response and within 14 days proposes, in writing, an Outcome. The Focaliser sends a copy each to Complainant and Complainee who have 7 days to agree or otherwise.

6 If both Complainant and Complainee agree the proposed outcome, the outcome is implemented and the matter closed.

7 If either does not agree the outcome, the Focaliser asks both parties to a Meeting, each with a friend or supporter if desired, at which all endeavour to reach a satisfactory outcome.

8 If no agreement is reached at the Meeting the Focaliser within 21 days shall convene a Disciplinary Committee of three Members who review both parties' written submissions, the minutes of the Meeting and within a further 21 days make recommendations of an outcome which may include but is not limited to one or more of the following:

Suspension of the Member
Dismissal of the Complaint
Recompense
Any other other recommendation that may satisfy both sides

Both parties shall then have a further 14 days to accept or reject the Disciplinary Committee's recommendation. If then either party is not satisfied the Focaliser will refer the matter to the Shiatsu Regulator.

9 These procedures are without prejudice to either party's right at any time throughout the procedures to take whatever further steps they deem necessary in law to obtain satisfaction.

Chant for Charity
Still seeking a few more singers, unsingers, chanters, growlers, blowers, drummers and strummers to come along this Saturday 1st march to help in creating an Album of Chants to promote our school and raise some money for Capital Radio's charity Help a London Child here at the Zen, 68 Great Eastern Street London EC2 starting at 5.30 pm to about 8.30 pm. - bring a friend to blow or sing or drum or strum.

Early Warning of Approaching Vitality
Yes, its the Vitality Show March 27th - 30th at Olympia.
Visit us on Stand E131, enjoy a wonderful head- neck- and shoulders treatment and get a 5% discount on any courses you sign up for at this exhibition. Thursday 27th 1pm to 9pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am to 6pm. More than 400 exhibitors. Great Buzz! Take a look!

Zen Shiatsu Open Evening and Intensive Immersion Course Coming Soon
Come to our Open Evening on Friday 29th February and learn more about Zen Shiatsu. Meet the teachers, have your questions answered. Win a 5% discount if you sign up this evening - no pressure, big saving. No need to book - just turn up: 6.30 for 7pm at 1st Floor, 68 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3JT (Old St Tube) Finish by 9 pm and costs just £9. Find us

5-day Shiatsu Intensive Immersion course. Monday 3rd March, daily until Friday 7th, 10am to 5pm. Learn the Four Positions: Prone, Supine, Side and Seated, leading to your basic Certificate in Practical Shiatsu (CPS.) If you can't make the Immersion, why not join one of the weekly courses: these start Tuesday evenings 6.30 pm or Thursday afternoons 2.30 pm, or for the monthly cycle enrol Saturday March 15th at 10am or 2pm (3rd Saturday, two sessions, 10 am to 1 pm and/or 2 to 5pm.)

The Zen School Spring break is from March 17th to 28th.


Taoist Training
Foundations of Taoist Practice Step 1 8th and 9th March, 10am to 5pm, included in the fee for Zen School Advanced Course.

Rant for Regulation
Since the first Witchcraft Act of 1563 in the reign of the first Elizabeth was repealed under the second in the 1950s we have been free to practise complementary medicine, astrology, tarot, spiritual healing etc without fear of getting burned at the stake or ducked in the pond but a greater threat now looms: the threat of regulation! We have a chance to have our say, yes, but we're not that interested - if we were into regulation we'd probably be doing more conventional styles of medicine.
The thing is, if we don't have our say how we want our freedom to be restricted then the bureaucrats will, based on the advice they get from the establishment's seers whose agenda is, naturally, keeping the establishment established. Fr'instance, is it in the interest of the drugs companies who fund medical research, to invest in researching preventative medicine - such as ours, altho' I'm probably not allowed to call ours preventative without researched medical evidence. Get the loop?

A cause for Rebels. What can you do? Yawn, read on, join a professional body if you haven't already. Most of the shiatsu ones are represented in the organisation that's preparing proposals for regulation to make sure we get what we want rather than what 'they' want. The Zen Shiatsu Society also offers umbrella coverage to other forms of massage and disciplines such as acupuncture, NLP, hypnotherapy, tai chi and chi king (qigong) teachers, etc etc. Let YOUR voice be heard - speak now or forever hold your peace under some Brusselesque bunch of rules.

Can you sing, strum, blow, drum or hum? I'm looking for 12 people who can't to growl in the background and for 12 people who can and a few people who play instruments to join in creating an Album of Chants to promote our school and raise some money for Capital Radio's charity Help a London Child.
Your name will be on the album which is scheduled to be recorded at the Zen School of Shiatsu 68 Great Eastern Street London EC2 on Saturday 1st March starting at 5.30 pm. It shouldn't go much later than 8.30 pm. How to find us
We'll be chanting everyone's favourite - Gayatri Mantra, the Mexican Om, and others such as We All Come from the Goddess, Om Nama Shivaya, Shakti Kundalini, Truth Simplicity and Love, Shiva O, Om Mane Padme Hum etc. (You don't have to know the words - there'll be cue-cards and practice!) The Album should be available as a download within a few days.

Our PR Consultant Marta Antunes received this message from Chloe Herbert at Capital Radio:
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you and the Zen School of Shiatsu do for Help a London Child. It really is with people and organisations like you that Help a London Child are able to carry on the work we do for disadvantaged children and young people in the Capital. You really are helping to make a difference and your support is very much appreciated."

To become part of this wonderful project click to email Marta

Congratulations to Jennifer Raven, lucky winner in a joint PR promotion between the Zen School of Shiatsu, the Vitality Show and the London Lite newspaper. Jennifer wins a free 5-day Shiatsu Intensive Immersion course. Why not join her - the next course runs from Monday 3rd March, daily until Friday 7th, 10am to 5pm. Learn the Four Positions: Prone, Supine, Side and Seated, leading to your basic Certificate in Practical Shiatsu (CPS.) (If you have already done this course, or one of the weekly or weekend courses, why not come along and help me out? I need people to demonstrate on and to help guide the new ones.)

If you can't make the Immersion, you always have the option of one of the weekly courses: these start Tuesday evenings 6.30 pm or Thursday afternoons 2.30 pm, or for the monthly cycle enrol Saturday March 15th at 10am or 2pm (3rd Saturday, two sessions, 10 am to 1 pm and/or 2 to 5pm.)

Come to our Open Evening on Friday 29th February and learn more about Zen Shiatsu. Meet the teachers, have your questions answered. Win a 5% discount if you sign up this evening - no pressure, big saving. No need to book - just turn up: 6.30 for 7pm at 1st Floor, 68 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3JT (Old St Tube) Finish by 9 pm and costs just £9.

Congratulations also to Uta Demontis on attaining her Licence to practise Zen Shiatsu (Lic.ZS) and welcome to the Zen School Teacher Training Programme. Uta is also a Society of NLP Certified Practitioner having won her Certificate at the Healing NLP Institute. Contact Uta

Healing NLP

If you have an NLP Practitioner Certifcate from the Healing NLP Institute or any other Society of NLP accredited trainer why not upgrade your qualification to Master Practitioner? The 8-Days NLP MASTER PRACTITIONER TRAINING this year runs in two blocks of four days, 25th to 28th April and 2nd to 5th May, 2008 Friday through Monday 9am to 6pm. Early Bird discount for payment by 7th March and special rate for Zen Shiatsu Society members

New Fast-Track shiatsu training - as from January you can speed through the Intermediate Course in just six months. All you need is love, or at least compassion, and two days a week: instead of offering the same class twice a week, we're going to teach two different classes, one on Tuesday and another on Thursday, with a different subject in each. And you can still come once a week and complete the Intermediate in less than a year. Learn more - call 0700 078 1195 or come to our next Open Evening Friday November 30th, no need to book, just turn up between 6.30 and 7 pm at 1st Floor, 68 Great Eastern Street London EC2A 3JT. The evening ends at 9 pm after you've experienced some hands-on shiatsu and had all your questions answered. No pressure, but if you do sign up for a course this evening (anything from five days to two years) we give you a whopping 5% discount.


The Next Zen Shiatsu 5-day Immersion Starter Course runs December 3rd through 7th Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm leading to Certificate in Practical Shiatsu (CPS)

If you prefer Absorption over Immersion, or if work and family commitments don't let you take five days out then any Tuesday evening or Thursday afternoon will do. Or a weekend. Take advantage of our continuous enrolment to join the weekly evening, afternoon or monthly weekend classes. It's the same programme spread over a longer period with the same benefits. Join any Tuesday evening at 6.30, Thursday afternoon 2.30, or the third Saturday of the month at 10am or 2pm.
* No need to book – just turn up! Take a look


Climate change is happening in shiatsu, in fact across the world of gentle healing. We've kind of resigned ourselves to regulation, not with resignation but activation. On the Shiatsu Schools Forum the Zen School of Shiatsu is working with the British School and the Shiatsu College to harmonise training standards and definitions for the teaching of our therapy. Well, we thought, we can wait for the Brussocrats to tell us what to do or we can put systems in place to tell them how we do it. Protecting the public is best done by effective training of students and developing practitioners. The Shiatsu Regulatory Group recognising that while the ultimate responsibility rests with the practitioner it is the schools who train practitoners and know what is important. Care, compassion, techniques, knowledge and experience. The job facing us is how to get that down on paper so the anonymators can understand.

A huge spin-off benefit from all this head and paperwork is the accreditation of our courses with national and international institutions. More on this later but meanwhile it looks like your shiatsu qualification is going to have even wider recognition. Watch this space. (if you are based outside the EU and thinking of getting a visa to study here, a system is already in place: click to see

Great for Christmas early shopping and lots of stalls, in particular number 95 right by the stage, Mind Body Soul exhibition at Olympia is a chance to meet the Zen School of Shiatsu, get a nice head-neck-and shoulders treatment and Help a London Child.
We'd really like you to make it this year as we're giving a pound in every ten (a treatment costs just a tenner) to Capital 95.8's charity Help a London Child.
What happens to the other £9? it pays for the stand and our helpers' costs of getting there.
What's in it for us? Well, our students get lots of practice, you get to see the Zen School in action, lots of treatments, ask all your questions about the training so that you know you've satisfied yourself completely that this is the right place for you. What could be simpler - helping three great causes: the kids, you, and us.
Professional training for a professional qualification - learning to help yourself to help others. Yes, you can make a difference.
See you there - the Weekend 27th and 28th October, Mind Body Soul Exhibition, Olympia. Stand 95, the Zen School of Shiatsu.
Oh yes - as usual we're offering a 5% discount on any course you pay for at the Exhibition.